PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Director of Archaeology and Museums Dr Abdul Samad, who was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau recently for allegedly making illegal appointments, could not be produced before NAB chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal on Monday.

The NAB chairman had earlier directed the KP chapter of the accountability body to produce Dr Samad before him on Monday after Prime Minister Imran Khan criticised the accountability watchdog for arresting the officer.

Imran Khan in his tweet had called the NAB action disgraceful.

Take a look: What went before Dr Abdul Samad’s arrest

Sources said Dr Samad, who is in NAB custody, was not taken to the federal capital on Monday to be presented before the NAB chairman.

Meanwhile, the KP Civil Service Officers Association has said that the working of accountability institutions in the country was marred by numerous anomalies which had led to uncertainty and apprehension among civil servants.

In a letter addressed to the prime minister, the association said that the accountability framework of the public sector was crucially important for governance. It said the cases of federal officers should be dealt with by federal accountability bodies, while provincial officials’ affairs should be dealt with by provincial bodies.

The association pointed out that procedural lapses in routine official work were part of the job and were covered accordingly under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules.

If certain steps during recruitment, procurement, grant of NOCs or any other official work were left out or violated inadvertently without any evidence of embezzlement or nepotism, it should not fall under the ambit of NAB or anti-corruption, the association said.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2019